An orbit-cleaning octopus will be sent into space on a cubesat: it will “take selfies”
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The author of the idea hopes that he will attract more young scientists to the topic of space debris
A figurine of an octopus printed on a 3D printer will be carried into orbit by a satellite created for the Northern Arctic Federal University. The launch is scheduled for May 2024.
The Arctic-Sat spacecraft of the cubesat format (ultra-small satellite) was built for the university under the SPACE-π program. It is designed to study the effect of cosmic radiation on the satellite itself, as well as to track the location of sea vessels.
In a fairly small volume it was possible to place a universal radiation detector and a receiver for automatic identification of ships. There will also be an installation of an octopus created according to the design of artist Elena Miro on a 3D printer.
According to her, this image was not chosen by chance: in nature, octopuses guard the cleanliness of the seabed. By this analogy, the space octopus has become a symbol of the fight against orbital debris. The figure is made from a domestic metal powder composition using selective laser melting technology. Its special alloy is capable of withstanding all the loads associated with a launch, as well as negative impacts outside the earth’s atmosphere.
The metal-powder octopus will not be bored in flight – the creators of the satellite will install a camera inside the device aimed at this object. This will allow him to periodically “take selfies” and send them to Earth.
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